Too old to Swaddle?

My girls are 3 1/2 months and we still swaddle at bed time. They like it, they never fuss and they've been sleeping 8 or 9 hours straight at night. My in-laws seem to think we are crazy to still be doing this and now I'm questioning it.

Do you think we are doing any harm to them? Obviously this is only at bedtime.

 

not at ALL!!! we swaddled until around 5-6 months, when they finally startign busting out of them at night. Then we went to swaddling just the lower body, leaving the arms out (mainly for warmth, as it was still cold/witnere here). they just slept so much mroe soundly when swaddled. we tried a few times around 4 months to let them go at night, and it was TERRIBLE. just up ever 1-2 hrs. we would try to comfort, but as soon as we would swaddle, they would knock right out for the rest of the night. So if it is working and they are sleeping, go ahead with it. they will let you know when they are ready to stop. I would suggest swaddling with a lightweight material though, now that it is getting warmer. just as not to overheat them.
just ignore the inlaws

 

No I don't think they are too old to swaddle. We swaddled until about 4 months old. At that point, I was afraid they'd start rolling over and be unable to move and that scared me. Some people swaddle until much older though!

 

We still swaddle because -- it works! Pediatrician said it was fine @ 4 month check-up. I will ask again at 5 month.

 

Nope, I say if it works, it works.

I remember reading a post a while back with 10 month olds that were still swaddled. I just couldn't figure it out, shouldn't a 10 month old be able to get out of it, LOL?

 

i swaddled my ds until he was 6 months & he "told" me he wanted nothing more to do with it & then dd was swaddled until 6.5 months then just the lower body until about 7.5 months. if they start rolling, i'd just swaddle armpits down, but i say do whatever works to help them sleep!! btw, i used the swaddleme wraps.

 

I agree with the others, do what works!

 

We swaddled our twins until they were 4-5 months old. By then they were busting out of the swaddle. I think we still swaddled DD's lower half until she was 6 months old.

DS #3 was able to break out of the swaddle around 3 months so I changed to using a sleep sack and putting his arms inside the sack. It was more so that he couldn't knock the paci out of his mouth (he loved to grab it by the ring and wave it around, but would get mad when he couldn't get it back in his mouth).

 

We swaddled the kids until they were 6 months old, at night time and for naps. They would not and could not sleep without it!

Heck, I would do it now if I could! Anything to get a longer nap out of them!!!

 

I don't think your doing them any harm.
My DS started to wriggle out of his swaddle at about 4 months old so i stopped swaddling him as he was ready. My DD stayed in hers till almost 5 months when she was ready.
I'd say let them be swaddled till they can figure out how to get out of it, if they like it. Mine loved it. it always helped them to calm down or fall asleep.
Good Luck!